Editorial :Â
Every parent in Pakistan — whether in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, or a small village in Balochistan — shares one universal dream: to keep their children healthy and safe from preventable diseases. Today, that dream is under threat because of deep cuts in foreign aid.
A recent report by Tabadlab has painted a worrying picture. Sharp reductions in international funding have badly hit Pakistan’s immunisation programmes. Over 60 healthcare facilities have already been forced to close, leaving nearly 1.7 million people without essential services. Vaccine supplies are shrinking, TB and HIV programmes are struggling, and millions of children now face a higher risk of measles, polio, and other deadly but preventable diseases.
Behind these cold numbers are real stories — a mother in rural Sindh anxiously waiting for her baby’s vaccination, a father in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa worried about his child’s next polio drop, and families in Balochistan who have already lost access to basic health facilities. For years, Pakistan has relied heavily on foreign donors for critical health programmes. With grants dropping by nearly 59% since 2017, the cracks in our healthcare system are now impossible to ignore.
Pakistan currently spends just 0.9% of its GDP on health — one of the lowest rates in the region. We cannot continue depending on uncertain foreign aid to protect our future generation.
This national crisis demands urgent action. The government must prioritize increasing domestic health spending, strengthen local vaccine production, integrate health programmes more efficiently, and develop a sustainable national health financing plan. At the same time, every political party and institution should treat child immunisation as a shared national responsibility that rises above politics.
Our children did not cause this funding crisis — but they will suffer the most if we fail to act.
The time has come for Pakistan to move from dependency to self-reliance in healthcare. The health and lives of our sons and daughters are far too precious to be left at the mercy of changing global priorities.
Let us protect Pakistan’s children — not just with words, but with decisive action.
